Chapter 14

I looked over at Nikki, fear clear in my eyes. Nikki took one look at my face, and stood up with determination. She left the room, but when I went to go after her, she waved for me to stay put. As soon as she was out of sight, I got up to follow her.

I made it as far as the top of the basement stairs, when she caught me. "Seriously?" she asked, turning to face me. "I am handling this. Go downstairs." I put on my pouty face and continued to walk.

Nikki sighed and crossed her arms. "Fine. Wait upstairs on the balcony so you can eavesdrop. But do. Not. Talk."

I crossed my heart and scurried upstairs to the second floor, finding the perfect hiding spot between a potted palm tree and a giant fuchsia flower.

"Let him come up," she told the maid. The maid pressed a button and out the glass window above the door, I could see a car pull up the winding driveway. I took a deep breath and focused on keeping my heart rate steady and my mouth shut.

"Stay quiet, Nikki said, at normal voice, reminding me.

I made a noise that sounded like an "Mmm", but I couldn't be sure.

The doorbell rang and I could see Nikki waiting the appropriate amount of time before opening the door.

I could see Chad open his mouth to talk, but before he could get anything out, Nikki spoke. "You're not welcome here." Then, she saw the sharpie adorning his "perfect" face, and the corner of her lips turned up.

"Is she here?" he asked, obviously ignoring Nikki's previous comment. When he said that, I really looked at him, and was surprised at what I saw. Besides the mustache and beard, his hair was rumpled, which he never let happen, he wore a t-shirt, which was terribly wrinkled, and his jeans sagged below his waist. Perfect Chad wasn't so perfect anymore. But the whole look was so demeaning; I had to stifle a laugh.

"No. She's not even in this state," Nikki said, sounding bored with the conversation.

"You're such a liar, she's probably sitting upstairs-wait, what? Not in New York, what do you mean?"

"She came by early this morning, around eight, and told me she was leaving, heading back to California early, and probably stopping back home in Wisconsin to visit her family before facing her cast members."

I grinned. Nikki could lie like nobody's business.

"Oh. If she calls can you tell her I stopped by and that I won't be bothering her anymore. I'm leaving today."

I sighed in relief. But then started hyperventilating. If he went back, I would have to see him when we were at the studio. Oh no…

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened? What exactly did you do to get her like this?" I take that back. Nikki is not just a liar, she is manipulative.

Shortly after she said that, she started having a big coughing fit, that I could tell was totally fake, but Chad was so busy formulating a response that would not make Nikki kill him, he didn't notice.

"Hold on, sorry," Nikki managed to get out, she cracked the door, and "hacked" into her elbow.

I stood up and starting waving my arms wildly, in a manner that told her I was extremely annoyed. She shrugged in a "What can I do about it?" way, and crossed her eyes at me. I glared and slunk back down into my hiding spot as she opened the door.

"Sorry about that. I'm getting sick. So….? What'd you do?"

Chad sighed. "Honestly, it was all a misunderstanding. I texted Sonny asking her to meet me because I had planned a surprise, a cute little picnic in the park. But it wasn't sent to her, it was sent to my press secretary, since her name is right under Sonny's in my contacts, but I didn't know. When she showed up, I tired to fix the mistake, but my phone was dead, and Sonia only had her work phone on her, and as she left, she kissed my cheek, 'cause she felt bad for me, I was leaving to go charge my phone or find a pay phone so I could call Sonny and fix my mistake. Because, I really do care about her. It may not seem like it, but I do, and Sonia understood. But Sonny didn't see it like that, and I totally understand where she was coming from. I would have come to the same conclusion she did. But she's being so darn stubborn, she refuses to hear what really happened, and now that she's gone, I can't fix it." Chad let out a deep breath.

Meanwhile, my heart had stopped. He really wasn't cheating on me? He cared about me? And here I was screwing things up left and right.

Nikki glanced behind her, in my direction. "I'll let her know you stopped by," she said, in a softer tone. "And um," she said, as Chad turned to walk back to his car, "Alcohol will fix your new facial hair." She smirked, back to her old self.

"Huh? What facial hair?" Chad was feeling all around his face. Nikki reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, snapped a quick picture, and handed Chad a compact, shutting and dead bolting the door before he could open it and see his reflection.

She leaned against the door, waiting for something.

"Ahhh! My face! No. No, no, no, no! This can't be happening!" Chad was having a meltdown.

I cracked up, running down the stairs to meet with Nikki. I gave her a huge hug. "I owe you so big," I said.

"I know."

"And we will never speak about what we just heard ever again," I clarified.

"I know."

And arm in arm, we sauntered down to the basement to finish our movie.

But, when we got to the part where the leading lady realizes she made a huge mistake and wants the hunky hottie to get back with her, I pause the movie and turn to Nikki.

"Do you think I did the right thing? I mean, letting Chad go? He was just trying to be nice and I jumped to conclusions. Even after hearing his side of the story. I want to forgive him, but I don't know I feel like that would ruin me. I'm like a teenage girl right after a big fight, realizing her parents were right after all and she was wrong. I would be humiliated and my esteem would go way, way, way down."

Nikki rolled her eyes. "Do you like him? Like, really care for Chad?"

I nodded reluctantly, and twirled a piece of my wet hair around my finger.

"Then what are you still doing here?" I smiled.

"Thanks, Nikki." I jumped up and hugged her. "I will call you when everything is sorted out, but thank you so much for being such an amazing friend. You don't know how thankful I am." I was tearing up.

"Ok, stop. You are supposed to be halfway to the airport by now!" I nodded, and grinning like an idiot through my tears, I raced to go find my car. Daniel and Nikki were waiting by the sidewalk with my bags when I pulled around the house.

"Good luck," Daniel said, hugging me. "it would have never worked out between us."

"You keep telling yourself that, cuz," Nikki said, punching him. I laughed.

"Thanks guys!" I said, sticking my hand out of the window as I drove down their driveway, only a single destination in my mind.

I pulled into the temporary waiting-for-a-passenger parking at the airport and locked my doors, ignoring the honks of protest from the cars behind me.

I raced through the airport, just like a cheesy romance movie, getting lost and throwing people out of my way to reach the terminal. Well, not quite like that. I had to stop and ask several people for directions and I never pushed anyone, I always politely shoved them or tapped them on the shoulder and asked them to move.

I was only a few hundred yards away when the female announcer voice came over the intercom and said that the only flight to California was almost done boarding and any last passengers needed to come now.

I ran faster, and I saw Chad, bags in hand, standing next to the girl I know recognized as his press secretary and another guy. They were at the very end of the line.

I was only a few yards away now. Sonia had spotted me and nudged Chad, who turned in my direction.

"Sonny?"

Everything after that one word was a blur.

"'msorry!" I spewed out.

When I was only about two feet away from him, I jumped, and he caught me, spinning me around.

"I thought you were gone!" he said.

"No, I was there the whole time, hiding behind some plants, but that's not important. I came here because I wanted to say I'm sorry for everything that I've done, I've acted like a complete jerk and I understand if you never want to see me or speak to me again," I said, all in one breath.

In response, Chad leaned in and kissed me. If I had had my eyes open, I would have seen fireworks explode anywhere I looked. Instead, all I saw were the backs of my eyelids. But the kiss was perfect. Sweet, gentle, and soft, everything I had dreamed about, and had only read about in books.

When we broke apart after a few seconds, (really it was forty two, but who was counting?) I was grinning like a lunatic, and I could see Sonia over Chad's shoulder, who was looking happier than I was.

Chad pulled me in for a hug, and I rested my head against his chest, breathing in the familiar scent.

"Mmm," let's go home," Chad said, walking towards the plane with his arm around me.

"I'd like that," I said, "but first, I have to get my bags and you need to wash off that Sharpie, which I really am sorry about, by the way."

Chad smiled. "Ok. Then on the next flight." He turned to face his press secretary. "Book me two tickets on the next flight to LAX and arrange for someone to drive m'lady's car home. You go on ahead."

Sonia smiled, and reached for the guy's hand, who I'm guessing was her boyfriend. 'I'm really happy for you two," she said, pulling the guy by the hand and into the plane.

Chad and I looked at each other. "About that Sharpie," he said.

I laughed. "I'm on it."

Ok guys, this was the last OFFICIAL chapter of this fanfic, but never fear, an epilogue is coming! Review please, and thank you so much to all my faithful readers (Especially to BunnyandChannylove who suggested I change the title to make it more appealing) Love you guys and hope to see you all reviewing and subscribing to my other stories that come out!